Pretty Crimes - Every Moment All At Once (Self-Released)

Pretty Crimes are a group from Raleigh, North Carolina, and they’re getting set to release their new album next month titled Every Moment All At Once. The band self-describes their style as “genre-fluid” and although they have a foundation in blues rock, they experiment with everything from indie folk to electronica and cite influences such as Kate Bush and The Beach Boys. Unsurprisingly, the record is just as eclectic as their 2020 debut You Have Your Mind, but Pretty Crimes manage to more tightly pull all the threads together into one concise package that is their strongest and most fully-realized work yet.

The group delivers some massive indie rock hooks on songs like “New Years” and “Knowing Silence” which both have hits written all over them. There are also plenty of more introspective or experimental moments like the electronic art pop of “If You Are There” which seems like a tip of the hat to Laurie Anderson or the plaintive, slightly jazzy “Madeline.” The album ends with the ten minute epic “Voyager I & II,” although it’s difficult to actually call it an epic. It’s a slow burning number that delicately unfolds and evolves over the ten minute track length, yet the nuance and deceptive complexity of the arrangements grips you without you even realizing how much time has actually passed.

Every Moment All At Once is released February 2nd, and it marks a huge, astounding leap forward for the band.